1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to clip-in window glazing which opens by rotation in appropriate configurations or, as appropriate, which does not open, comprising at least one panel made of glass and/or of plastic and at least one hinge element, particularly window glazing in which the panel is overmoulded with plastic. The invention also relates to this window glazing mounted in a frame of an opening as well as the mounting thereof.
2. Discussion of the Background
There are usually two types of opening for window glazing: opening by raising/lowering, that is to say by translation, and opening by rotation.
The invention relates to the latter type of opening, that is to say that the window glazing pivots in some way about a vertical or horizontal axis. The amplitude of opening depends on the envisaged application. For a rear window of a vehicle, the window glazing can open, for example, by 1-6.degree..
Panel made of glass and/or plastic is understood to mean a sheet, for example made of glass or of plastic or an assembly of sheets made of glass and/or plastic. This assembly may be symmetric (the outer sheets are of the same type, made of glass or plastic), or asymmetric (the outer sheets are of different types, one made of glass, the other made of plastic. This panel is transparent or opaque.
The frame of an opening is understood to be the support on which the window glazing is mounted. It may be the frame of a transport vehicle, for example an automobile, or a window upright or any other support.
The hinges generally used consist of a hinge in which the spindles fixed to the window glazing turn.
They are, however, unattractive because they are visible from the outside and are relatively bulky. Furthermore, the mounting of the window glazing equipped with this type of hinge involves tricky operations such as the positioning of the spindles in the hinges.
In order to overcome these drawbacks, some hinges have an element made of an elastic material, or more precisely a material acting like a spring. This may be the plastic overmoulding a transparent panel and forming a furrow defining the articulation axis as defined in the document FR 2,577,856. However, a lack of adhesion between the hinge and the panel may arise under the effect of frequent stresses on the plastic. What is more, a surface puckering thereof may also appear, and this is unattractive to look at. This type of hinge also has a problem of security because it is easily cut through by a cutting blade.
In order to overcome these drawbacks, the document EP 0,646,483 describes a hinge formed as a single element made of an elastic material fixed both to the panel and to the frame of the opening by at least one adhesive layer. This hinge element is fixed to the frame by screwing or bolting from the inside, for example of a vehicle, which is particularly tricky and wastes a lot of time.
Document EP 0,096,129 describes a hinge made as a single element, of an elastic metal which can be fixed to the frame of the opening by clamping. The means by which the hinge is fixed to the opening is, according to this document, a component in the shape of a U having a stud, the component straddling the periphery of the frame of the opening while the stud is inserted in a hole pierced beforehand in this frame. This type of fixing does, however, require the frame of the opening to have a special shape to allow this straddling. Furthermore, when fixing the hinge to the frame there is a risk that the stud will scratch the paintwork of the frame of the opening and therefore cause corrosion.